Wild boar and feral hogs in Arizona

Feral hogs in Arizona: where they are

Compared with Texas or the Southeast, Arizona has very few feral hogs, and nobody publishes a credible statewide count. What exists are scattered pockets, many traced to escaped or released animals.

The best-documented pocket was on the lower Colorado River. At Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, near Parker, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and USDA APHIS Wildlife Services ran seven culls between 2017 and 2020, mostly by helicopter, and removed 239 feral swine by September 2020. No pigs were seen on the September 2020 flight, though tracks and wallows showed a few were still around.

USDA Wildlife Services' Arizona office has said publicly that the statewide goal is eradication, working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) and the Arizona Department of Agriculture. Reports over the years have come from places such as the San Pedro River, the Willcox area and the Arizona Strip. USDA APHIS's county-level distribution map shows the latest confirmed range.

Javelina are not pigs

Most "Arizona wild hog" questions are really about javelina, the collared peccary. AZGFD is clear that javelina belong to the peccary family, a separate group of hoofed mammals that evolved in South America and only recently reached Arizona. They look piglike, but they aren't pigs. Adults weigh 35–60 lb (16–27 kg) and travel in herds of two to more than 20. Arizona law lists javelina as big game. Feral hogs are on neither the big-game nor the game-mammal list.

Feral hog status	Small, scattered populations; statewide goal is eradication (USDA Wildlife Services)
Legal class	Not listed as big game or game mammal (A.R.S. 17-101)
Shooting a feral hog	Check with AZGFD and the Arizona Department of Agriculture
Javelina	Native peccary, not a pig; big game under A.R.S. 17-101
Javelina hunting	Arizona hunting license and AZGFD big-game rules apply
Report a hog	AZGFD or USDA Wildlife Services, 866-487-3297 (866-4USDA-WS)

Hog hunting and trapping rules in Arizona

As of 2026, Arizona has no feral hog season, and we couldn't find an official AZGFD page that spells out who may shoot a feral hog, and where. Feral swine aren't on Arizona's statutory lists of big game or game mammals (A.R.S. 17-101). That doesn't make them open game. Land ownership, livestock law and local firearm rules all still apply, and the agencies' goal is removal, not recreation. Before you shoot a hog anywhere in Arizona, check with AZGFD and the Arizona Department of Agriculture. If you see one, report it to AZGFD or to USDA Wildlife Services at 866-487-3297.

How eradication works here

Havasu NWR is a good picture of the approach in a state where hogs haven't taken hold. Crews relied mostly on aerial culling, backed up by ground shooting, hunting dogs, corral traps and snares. They found pigs with trail cameras, thermal (FLIR) optics and radio-collared "Judas" pigs that lead hunters to the rest of a group, and they cut cattails and used prescribed fire to strip away cover. Public hunting for meat wasn't part of the plan. The lesson for landowners: one pig is a phone call, not a hunt.

Javelina hunting in Arizona

If you searched "Arizona hog hunting," you probably meant javelina. Because javelina are big game, you need an Arizona hunting license (required for anyone 10 or older taking wildlife), and you have to follow AZGFD's big-game rules for javelina, including season dates by game management unit. AZGFD also clears up a common myth. The javelina's scent gland sits within the skin on its back, so normal skinning removes it, and there's no need to cut it out first.

Javelina and wild boar are different animals on the table, too. Our wild boar vs. feral hog guide explains what a true wild boar is.

Cooking wild hog, Arizona style

Sonoran cooking is built on slow-cooked pork, and wild boar brings more flavor than a supermarket pork butt. For chile colorado or a red chile tamale filling, braise a shoulder roast in a sauce of dried red chiles, garlic, Mexican oregano and cumin until it falls apart, then shred it back into the sauce.

Posole rojo works the same way with cubes of stew meat, hominy and a long simmer. Top it with shredded cabbage, radish and lime. For a Tucson backyard grill, wild boar sausage links go well with charred onions and flour tortillas. Cook everything to at least 160°F (71°C). With braises, you'll go well past it.

Wild boar meat delivery to Arizona

We ship wild boar from our plant in Hubbard, Texas to every part of Arizona — frozen, vacuum sealed and packed with dry ice. Estimated transit: 2–3 days by ground (estimate), including Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale and Flagstaff. Orders over $199.00 ship free; smaller orders ship for a flat $39.95.

Estimate from Hubbard, TX. In summer, plan to be home on delivery day; we ship Monday through Wednesday so boxes never sit over a weekend.

Feral hogs in Arizona: FAQ

Sources

1. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Feral swine removal from Havasu National Wildlife Refuge
2. Arizona Daily Star — Invasive feral hogs threaten Arizona agriculture, wildlife (USDA Wildlife Services on eradication)
3. A.R.S. § 17-101 — Definitions (big game, game mammals)
4. AZGFD — Living with javelina
5. AZGFD — Javelina species profile
6. AZGFD — Unit 20B hunting information (javelina scent gland)
7. AZGFD — Licenses
8. USDA APHIS — Wildlife Services contacts
9. USDA APHIS — Feral swine distribution maps

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